Philly native Kevin Hart will reportedly make history next summer by becoming the first comedian to do what only football teams and rock bands do: Headline an NFL stadium. He’ll play to 68,000 seats on Aug. 30 at Lincoln Financial Field.Read more »

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2011, Sabol was the visionary force who revolutionized sports on camera and mythologized football at its highest level of competition.

“Through his determination and innovative spirit, Ed Sabol transformed how America watched football and all sports,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday. “Ed ignited the fire at NFL Films and was the Keeper of the Flame with a remarkable vision and dedication to telling the stories of the people who played, coached and loved the game.

“He earned the ultimate recognition by being selected in 2011 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame where he will forever be remembered alongside the men he so greatly cared about. Ed’s memory will live forever in the hearts and minds of fans around the world whenever they see the work of NFL Films and of the many people he inspired.”

Art lovers braved the chilly weather Saturday night and celebrated the opening of “A Carnevale of Philadelphie” at E-Moderne Gallerie in Old City. It was warm and cozy inside as guests celebrated artwork which sometimes reflected the theme of the night: Mardi Gras.

Wine and cheese were served, as the nearly 200 guests perused the art on the wall and chatted with E-Modern owner Edward Fong and artists Inna Race and Vasil Anastasov. Inna Race’s interest in art began as a small child and flourished into a career into adulthood. The exhibition at E-Modern reflects the influence of great artists on her work as she tried to capture their essence in her exhibition, “Masterpieces Reborn project” which includes a piece I love: Chagall’s Midsummer’s Night Dream, which Inna then recreated in her own inspired art work. Vasil Anastasov specializes in Japanese-inspired artwork, and hopes his work helps his subjects transport themselves through time and to the places that he captures on his canvas. “A Carnevale of Philadelphie” runs through March 1 at E-Moderne Gallerie at 116 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

You may not have noticed, but the Roxy has become a pretty cool place to do movies in Center City.

Really. After years as a rundown also-ran in the city’s cinema ecosystem, the Philadelphia Film Society has turned the movie theater into one of the best places in town to have a fun, eclectic movie experience. You might not always know that from the first-run movies the Roxy carries — right now the choices are Mortdecai and Black or White, ugh — but there’s so much more going on.

Consider this: Last Sunday, while everybody was getting ready for the Super Bowl, the Roxy counterprogrammed with a showing of Little Giants, the Pee Wee football classic. Friday and Saturday, there were midnight showings of The Thing, John Carpenter’s terrifying monster movie.

And take December: The Roxy ran a “12 Days of Christmas” marathon featuring classic holiday movies. (I went and saw Die Hard on the big screen for the first time. Fantastic.) Before that, there was a weeklong festival showing each of the original-cast Star Trek films on their original 35-mm prints. (My son saw Wrath of Khan for the first time — again, a wonderful experience.)

Those are just the special events. “We do a bunch of different educational and community programs,” Liz Schiller, a marketing consultant for the theater, told me.

Other regular events:

• Weekend morning movies for kids. These feature some classic and some new, quirky choices — the next one is a Japanese retelling of The Little Mermaid — and there are two screenings offered: One in a traditional setting, the other a “sensory friendly” showing in which the house lights are turned up and the movie sound volume lowered, designed for children with sensitivities bothered by traditional movie showings.

• The monthly “Filmadelphia “ series that showcases the work of Philadelphia filmmakers of a range of ages and backgrounds. (Amateurs are welcome to submit works.)

• Wednesday night BYO movies, where moviegoers can bring their own wine bottles — the theater offers glasses and charges a corking fee. “That is sort of a relaxed atmosphere,” Schiller said. “It’’s one of the more fun things we do that we get lots of calls about.”

Coming soon: A monthly “Passport to World Cinema” series that was formerly hosted at the University for the Arts.

The theater is still trying to find its way under the stewardship of the Philadelphia Film Society — that organization recently sent a survey to members asking what programming is favored and which isn’t.

But more than a year after the PFS purchased the Roxy and struggled to remodel and reopen it, the facility has become a delightful place to have a varied moviegoing experience and the only place to catch a big (well, ok, medium) screen flick in Center City. It’s worth checking out.

Mr. Collins, 46, who also served for five years as director of the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase, N.Y., said he was drawn to the Barnes not only because it was one of the places where he first learned about art while growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs, but also because of the philosophy of its founder, Albert C. Barnes, a pharmaceutical tycoon who cast it more as a teaching institution than as a traditional museum.

“I’ve always thought of myself as an educator,” said Mr. Collins, who added that he felt that the Barnes had “really never been able to bridge to that great academic community in and around Philadelphia” — schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Drexel University and Swarthmore College, his undergraduate alma mater.

Asked his opinion about the Barnes’s relocation from the suburb of Merion — permitted in a 2004 court decision that circumvented the charter and bylaws of Barnes, who had stipulated that his collection could not be lent, sold or moved from its original home — Mr. Collins said: “To me it seems like an unqualified success. I have no reservations now about it at all, and I wouldn’t be going there if I did.”

Mitchell & Ness held their Holiday Party on Friday December 19th at their flagship store located in Center City. Guests enjoyed lite bites, specialty drinks and a mind blowing 50 percent off everything in the store. Entertainment was provided by DJ Dilemma, and he did a great job mixing old school with modern vibes, as guests enjoyed dancing with their packages at their feet. I spotted a few boldfaced names in the crowd including former cruiserweight Simon ‘One Punch’ Carr, rapper Chill Moody, rapper Trinidad James, actor Luis Da Silva Jr, Philadelphia Union players Sébastien Le Toux and Ford Gaitley, Nicolaus Valentino of Live Nation, Jen Abrams, Jonathan Yuska (head of Mitchell and Ness) and Brittney Barkley — wife of Eagles player Matt Barkley. (They just announced they’re having a baby in the spring, congrats!) Happy Holidays!! See you next year. HughE

Vicki and Chris Le Vine, along with The Broadway Dreams Foundation (BDF), hosted the Fifth Annual White Christmas at Sweetwater Farm and Grace Winery (50 Sweetwater Road, Glen Mills, PA) on Sunday, December 14, 2014. The festive old fashioned piano party and cabaret featured performances by Broadway’s brightest stars (some of who took the night off from Broadway to be there.) and talented Philadelphia area BDF students (who have dreams of reaching Broadway one day.) Each year hundreds of students received valuable musical theatre training through BDF programs offered in partnership with Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

The BDF program is also offered in other cities around the country, but the Philadelphia program is the largest.

The Broadway Dreams Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to training, mentoring and providing career opportunities to the next generation of musical theater performers. Intensive programs are offered nationally throughout the year, led by an exceptional faculty of high-profile Broadway professionals. BDF offers significant scholarships to hundreds of participants each year, ensuring that all qualified students are able to realize their Broadway dreams regardless of their financial status.

Last night Chef Luke Palladino celebrated the opening of his new restaurant, Palladino’s, on Philly’s latest restaurant row — East Passyunk Avenue — with a VIP Party including Mike Jerrick, Pat Ciarrocchi, Barbara Rittenhouse, Deputy Mayor Richard Negrin and his wife Karen, Councilman Mark Squilla and wife Brigid, and Cory Wade (America’s Next Top Model) in attendance.

Guests were greeted by a 50-foot-long red carpet, where they posed for photos before entering the upscale Italian restaurant with bar, open kitchen and a dining room with 80. They enjoyed tastes from his extensive menu as well as specialty drinks by Punzone Vodka. The kitchen features a wood-fired grill where they prepare steaks, fish, and chops, as well as an Italian oven that will be used exclusively to bake focaccia. The official opening of the restaurant is tonight, but is sold out. Palladino’s is located a stone’s throw from Broad Street, at 1934 E. Passyunk Avenue.

Hey fat assed Christie, kiss Jerry Jones’ ass in his box in Dallas. Not across the river from Philly! You are just a creep! — CouncilmanJimKenney (@JimFKenney) December 15, 2014

Admittedly, part of me likes that a Philly politician would not only publish those tweets but defend them. Councilman Kenney – who has a history of Twitter tantrums – didn’t take them down, explaining, “I have a big nose and he has a fat ass. Just as life deals you.”

But, as much as I enjoy Philadelphia’s unique brand of feisty real-talk, I can’t help but think the same thing I think every time someone attacks Christie for his weight: Kenney sounds like an idiot, and he probably needs a hug.

There was once a time in sports where it was cool to be an anti-hero. Charles Barkley ran a money-making campaign to prove he was not a role model. Michael Jordan, the best to ever do it, never made it his business to prove that he cared about the community either, despite how the hood’s love of Jordans has kept his money long in the years after basketball.

“Republicans buy shoes, too,” he once said. (Or possibly didn’t. Either way, Jordan was famous for his non-political stances during his playing career.)

The 1980s and early 90s, the years of modern excess, were years where anyone could say anything what they wanted, because everyone seemingly had everything they wanted. It was easy not to care, especially if you were one of the world’s biggest athletes.

But something’s changed in a major way. There’s something very special happening in sports right now. People care.